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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. key — for a lock
  3. cold — an illness
  4. present — the time now
  5. bore — to tire
  6. charge — in control
  7. key — in music
  8. present — there
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. key — the most important part
  12. lean — thin
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. cap — a lid
  16. charge — a price
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. lean — to bend
  19. charge — electricity
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bore — to drill
  22. cold — not warm
  23. present — a gift
  24. bore — gave birth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com